It’s about race. One race, the human race. It’s about challenging stereotypes and assumptions. And it’s about de-powering the words. N*gger. Wetb*ck. Ch*nk. As the posters warn (or rather promise), the asterisks come off on Nov. Read more...

It’s not hard to bring to mind the stereotype of a metal head. Since heavy metal’s arrival on the music scene in the early 1970s, it’s been accused of everything from Satanism to plain old Beavis and Butthead idiocy. Read more...

Facing declining sales and an industry-wide slump, record companies seem ready to shrug off the corporate bubble-gum pop of the past few years and start supporting a genuine sound. Read more...

The only thing worse than a hipster is a person who, whether knowingly or not, dresses like one. I’m not talking about the trucker hats, or the aviators, or that shaggy unwashed hair. Read more...

Stars “Heart” Arts & Crafts “I am Evan, and this is my heart.” So begins “Heart,” a song cycle about love and relationships from the Montreal-based rock band Stars. Read more...

Behind UCLA piano Professor Vitaly Margulis’ large square-framed, thick-lensed glasses there’s a benign, pensive gaze. But looks can be deceiving, especially when one discovers that behind Margulis’ calm expression there is a mind of such fiery passion. Read more...

While she glides onto the stage in a purple-sequined jacket and does a little salsa step, there is only one word to describe Omara Portuondo: diva. Read more...